The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-12-03
ABOUT REFORM SCHOOLS.
A DIscoursging Picture OF Their xvii In.
nuence Upon BOYS.

y
mate, number more than nine thou
sand b,ys and girls, The causes Of
| commitment embrace nearly every Of
fense. from petty larceny TO man
slaughter The means Of amendment
employed include not only tho removal
Of the offender from tho opportunity Of
indulging his criminal tastes, but also
the teaching Of some trade, instruction
in the elementary branches Of knowl-
edge. and endeayor 10 form an upright
character. Concerning the success Of
the reform school in the reformation Of
those intrusted to it, there is room for
two contrary opinions. In an exami-
nation Of the cosvicts of the prisons
Of New York. which was ordered by
the Prison Association Of the State in
1873. it was found that Of the inmates
Of the Sing Sin. pcnitentialy, 22.3l
per cent. had been "rcfugc' boys. As
the usual number OF inmate, Of the
reformatories of New York exceeds
three thousand. IL is plain that the
large portion OF them do not become in
mates Of prison, within the State.
As 10 the reforms accomplished, es-
Inmates vary from 60 per cent ~ 70.
But in these percentages are included
many children who without being
vicious. but exposed and homeless, ar
received into the house, OF ref" g.
The proportion. therefore. of those
who have served in reform schools who
are afterward convicted Of crimes is
small, not exceeding 80 or 40 per cent.
Yet statistics indicate that the influence
of these schools in impressin. evil
habits upon certain class of their
boys is exceedingly strong. OF the
22.3l per cent. OF tho Sing Sing
convicts examined who had been in
these schools. 90 per cent.-ffty-one
out OF fifty-two-wers habituaL crimi-
nails. Some light Is thrown upon the
methods by which the reform school
helps to fix the habit Of criminality by
the following conversation between a
convict at Sing Sing and an examiner:
"Plcasc. sir may | ask you ques-
tion?' asks the convict.
"Ccrtainly," is the examiners reply.
"Why do they send boys to the house
of refugee"
IL suppose it IS to teach them to be
better boys
That's great mistake, for they get
worse"
"How should that be?'
~ wouldn't be here only was sent
to the refuge"
what did you learn there that
should have caused you to bo sent
hereP'
IL didn't know how TO pick pockets
before | went, and | didn't know no
fences; that's whcro you sell what you
steal, you know"
What clso did you learn in the way
of thicving?"
81 learned how to put up job in
burglary"
Another inmate-who at the age of
seven stole fruit, and was sent TO re-
form school at Albany for nine months;
at eight was found guilty of petit lar
Ccny. and sent to the house of refuge;
mt twelve was committed TO Juvenile
asylum. and escaped three times in
four days. and three other times be-
fore reaching his majority was SOM
fenced to reformatorics. and who be-
tween tho ages of twenty-one and forty
one had been committed to prison no
less than ten timcS-rcmarkcd to the
examiner:
IL never learned thing in my life
in prison To benefit me outside. The
house of refuge is tho worst place boy
could be sent to-"
"Why soa"
Boys are worse than men; | believe
boys know more mischief than men.
In tho house Of refuge / learned to
sncak-thief, shop-lift, pick pockets and
open n lock-"
"lIow did you get sn opportunity to
learn all this2'
There's plenty Of chahce. They
learn it from each other when at
play"
In respect to the evil influence Of
the reform school upon certain boys,
it is, moreover, worth while to refer To
the experience OF one of the most
learned and humane Judges of the Su-
premc Bench OF Maine. Before his
court was brought Il boy who had, evil
IDENTITY in fit of extreme rage, shot his
father rio had. 40 far ~ known,
borne a good reputation, snd was a
church member. He pleaded that he
believed tho gun was not loaded, and
only intended to trightcn his parent
The jury returned verdict of guilty
Never before, confeSscs tho Judge. did
he spend SO many sleeplcss nights in
determining upon sentence. Ii Law
in his power 10 commit the lad either
10 the reform school Of the State dur
ing the remainder OF his m,jority or to
the State prison for \ term of years
He chose the latter alternative, and on
the ground that in tho reform school
he would learn c-stain vicious and
criminal habits. which would probably
render his whole life criminal aud
vicious. In tho prison. separated firm
other convicts. he would he in less
| peril of contamination. Havin. solely
| in view the interests OF the boy. the
Judge decided shat the disgrace Of
being n State prison convict was less
| pcrilous than the danger OF education
in evil which ths bsser members Of the
reform school give their purcr assc-